


Rude Awakenings

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders' Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-11-02
Updated: 2005-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-19 12:44:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12410550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: Lily is having unwanted dreams concerning someone she'd really rather not have them about. She tries repeatedly and unsuccessfully to figure out why they're happening and how to stop them. Fluffy and smutty (sort of).





	1. Narcoleptic

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

** Rude Awakenings **

** **

**By Natali**

****

**Chapter One: Narcoleptic**

****

_“I love you,”� he whispered against her hair, breathing in her scent._

__

_She smiled, sighing contentedly. “I know. I love you, too.”� She rolled off of him, snuggling close to him. Her fingers toyed with the crisp, curly hairs on his chest as she relived the ecstasy she’d just experienced._

__

_It was perfect. It was…_ heaven _. There was, simply, nothing to describe the feelings inside of her whenever they were together._

__

_He hooked a finger under her chin and raised her head to kiss her, deeply, meticulously. He was so thorough in everything he did–especially when he did her._

__

_“We should get up,”� he muttered, not really meaning it. There was nowhere else that he wanted to be, nothing else he wanted to be doing. A biscuit might top things off nicely, but he sure wasn’t about to complain._

__

_Lily gave a throaty chuckle, kissing his jawbone. “That would involve getting dressed and dealing with Sirius. Do you think he’s still outside the house trying to get in?”�_

__

_“He’s one stubborn son of a bitch,”� James sighed, hugging Lily closer. His eyes strayed to the rosy tips of her breasts, where he’d left a bite mark. “You look loved.”�_

__

_She snorted. “I look beat up. I think you bruised my hips with your hands, you were gripping me so hard.”�_

__

_For a second, he frowned. “Did I hurt you?”�_

__

_Lily shrugged, examining her wedding ring closely. “Honestly, it was worth it. You’re just a bit aggressive in bed. Remember that time when we had sex in one of the closets at that party? That shelf left the ugliest bruise on my back! I couldn’t lie down for two weeks.”�_

__

_“Don’t remind me,”� he grumbled. “I try not to hurt you, but you’re very delicate, Lils.”� He tapped his nose, which she scrunched._

__

_“I resent that. I’m anything but delicate.”�_

__

_“Of course,”� he grinned cheekily, receiving a glare. “Whatever you say, dear.”�_

__

_“At least you know the right things to say,”� she grumbled, sitting up and stretching. “Come on, before Sirius gets frostbite, the twit. No doubt he left his wand at home–_ again _–and can’t do a warming charm.”�_

__

_“I don’t know why you think he’s stupid,”� James said, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. “If I recall correctly, he beat you in Transfiguration N.E.W.T.s–”�_

__

_“_ Don’t _bring that up!”� she snapped. “I’m touchy on that subject.”�_

__

_“Really, now? No idea…”�_

__

_She gave him a rude gesture, padding down the hall to the last room on the right. She pushed open the door, the familiar blue and white walls greeting her. Reaching the corner of the room where the crib sat, she leaned over and picked up Harry, smiling softly._

__

_“My handsome boy, how did you sleep last night?”� she whispered, kissing his nose as he yawned. “Do you want to see if Uncle Sirius proved me right by being a twit and remaining outside? Come, let’s go poke fun at him.”�_

__

_Six-month old Harry chewed on his fingers, reaching for Lily’s hair with the other hand. He gave a strong tug, and she laughed._

__

_“You like my hair, don’t you, you little bugger?”� She kissed his fat hand. “I bet you like it so much you’ll end up with a redhead.”�_

__

_“He won’t know what he’s getting into, the little stud,”� James laughed, heading down the stairs behind her. “You lot are a fiery one. Oh, yes, there’s Sirius. I think his fingers are frozen in that shape…”�_

__

_Lily took off the silencing charm she’d used the night before so the knocks and yelling didn’t wake Harry, opening the front door. “Hurry up, Black, before my son catches a chill. You’ll be unmanned if he does, be warned.”�_

__

_“Still don’t know why the bloody hell you two idiots don’t just let me in,”� Sirius said, teeth chattering. “And give me a sodding cup of hot coffee, would you?”�_

__

_“Get it yourself,”� Lily shrugged. “And I still don’t know why you insist on spending every free minute that you have here in this house–_ my _house.”�_

__

_“For the last time, Lily, it’s like this. My godson needs a good role model, my best mate needs some entertainment, you, my dear, need Sirius.”�_

__

_Lily rolled her eyes. “I hope you know that if you were anyone else, James would’ve killed you by now for flirting with me.”�_

__

_“He can’t deny the love we have,”� Sirius grinned, smacking James on the back amicably. “Right mate?”�_

__

_“How could I get in the way of such a happy union?”� James said dryly. “Oh, that’s right. I’m the one that gets to fuck Lily, not you. Oh, there’s also the fact that we’ve got a son together. Then there’s the fact I’m much more handsome than you are–”�_

__

_“I beg your pardon!”� Sirius exclaimed._

__

_“–and therefore we cannot blame Lils for choosing me over you,”� James snickered, tossing Sirius a slice of toast._

__

_“James, I only chose you because Sirius is more of a man-whore. You are in no way more attractive than Sirius,”� Lily said simply, pouring Sirius a mug of coffee. She winked at him. “I’m sure he’s much better in bed.”�_

__

_“I’ll remember that, then,”� her husband muttered, smearing butter all over his toast. “Go screw him if you like.”�_

__

_“And risk you killing me? No, I’ll pass, Prongs. You might put up with our flirting, but I’d like to have children some day too, you know,”� Sirius chuckled. “Now, how are you today, Harry? I’ve got a new neighbor, and she’s got the nicest pair of–”�_

__

_“Out!”� Lily shrieked. “I will not stand here and let my son be influenced by the likes of you yet, Black. Out of my house! You can come by tonight when your hormones have calmed down. Go bang something.”�_

__

_Sirius smirked, rising. “Very well. Another thing. It might be prudent for the two of you to close your curtains at night. The whole bloody street could see you.”�_

__

_“Yes, but you were the only one watching,”� James smiled. “Thank you, Padfoot. I’ll be in touch with you.”�_

__

_With a humph, Sirius disapparated._

__

_“I told you he was a twit.”� Lily turned back to preparing breakfast._

__

_“Miss Evans.”�_

__

_“Miss Evans? James, I haven’t been Evans for over a year now…”�_

__

_“Miss Evans. Miss Evans._ Miss Evans! _”�_

 

Lily Evans snapped her head up. “What?”�

 

“Are you tired, Miss Evans?”� Professor McGonagall asked. “I’m sorry I am so boring that you fell asleep. As hard as it might be, it might be beneficial to you if you paid a bit of attention.”�

 

“I’m sorry, Professor,”� she blushed, sinking down in her chair as a few snickers passed around the room. “It won’t happen again.”�

 

After another moment of glaring at her, Professor McGonagall turned back to teaching the class how to turn machetes into chairs, and Lily had a chance to think about her dream.

 

How utterly embarrassing! This wasn’t the first time, either. Only this time, it was in public. It irked her somewhat, that she found James Potter as attractive as she did. In fact, he was bloody gorgeous, and she couldn’t look at him without feeling just a bit hot.

 

Remus Lupin was sitting next to her with a particularly smug look on his face. He turned to her, giving her a calculating smile. “Nice dream, Lily?”�

 

“I wasn’t dreaming,”� she lied smoothly, taking down her notes.

 

“I beg to differ.”�

 

Lily stopped, wondering at his tone. He sounded as if… as if he knew something that he shouldn’t. Could she have been talking aloud in her sleep?

 

“That so?”�

 

He nodded, leaning forward and toward her. “Interesting name fell from your lips, Lily.”�

 

She whipped her head to the side so quickly that Remus jumped, startled. 

 

“What did you hear, Lupin?”� she asked nervously. What if she’d been moaning out Potter’s name–as she had been doing in her dream–and now the whole class knew? But if she had, McGonagall would’ve put a stop to it, wouldn’t she?

 

“Relax, I’m the only one that heard,”� Remus assured her. “It was barely above a whisper, and I read your lips more than anything.”�

 

Lily gave an internal sigh of relief, but refused to show him that she was. He might just be playing with her, and was waiting for her to give herself away.

 

“That’s quite lovely, but I wasn’t dreaming, Remus. Thank you, however, for letting me borrow the notes I missed while I was sleeping.”� She reached over and grabbed the roll of parchment and began to take things down.

 

In the back of the room, James Potter sat next to Sirius Black, and they watched the exchange between their best mate and Lily Evans.

 

“What do you reckon that’s about?”� James asked, sucking on a sugar quill. “Remus looked… well, devilish, didn’t he?”�

 

“I do believe we’re rubbing off on him, finally,”� Sirius grinned. “You think they were flirting?”�

 

“That’s not how Remus flirts, Sirius, and you know it,”� James said, experiencing a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was still a possibility… But would Remus do that, knowing that James liked Lily? Of course not. It was preposterous.

 

Sirius nodded. “Speaking of things I know, I’ve never heard of Lily falling asleep in the middle of a class, have you?”�

 

James shook his head. “Most uncharacteristic of her. She’s usually quite attentive. Remember the dirty look she gave you that time you fell asleep against her cauldron in Potions?”�

 

Sirius chuckled. “It was a look a pure love, and I knew we were destined to be together from that moment on.”�

 

“You’re going to have to get in line mate,”� James told him apologetically. “I’ve got first dibs.”� The bell rang for dismissal, and the class rang with the scraping of chairs as everyone stood.

 

Lily hopped out of her chair and hurriedly gathered her books, practically running away from Remus. She didn’t want to–couldn’t stand to–confront him. She wasn’t entirely sure she could pull off lying to him. 

 

Had he really seen? How mortifying. Of all people to choose to sit next to that day, he’d had to pick her.

 

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice that she was about to collide with someone until it was too late.

 

“Oof!”� came her muffled cry, as she registered her face in someone’s shirt. She backed away. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying–”� She stopped short, having realized who it was holding her up. James gave her a boyish grin.

 

“It’s all right, Evans, you seem distracted. I should have been paying more attention.”� He released her suddenly, as if remembering they weren’t best friends or friends enough to touch each other knowingly. “But I can’t say I’m disappointed about our run in. You’re a very nice person to bump into. We should meet again sometime, perhaps intentionally.”�

 

Lily was dumbfounded. Was he asking her out? He hadn’t done that in at least seven months or so. Not since that time at Hogsmeade on Valentine’s Day last year.

 

“Happy little reunion?”� Sirius said, popping up beside them. “Hate to have to drag you away, mate, but we’ve got something to do. I hear Snivellus was saying something rather crude about Miss Bones, and I feel I have to correct him.”�

 

James nodded, turning back to Lily with a smile. “See you around, Evans.”�

 

He and Sirius walked off, Remus appearing right beside her.

 

Remus smiled slowly, knowingly. “I won’t say anything. But if I happen to give you guys a push in the right direction…–”�

 

“Don’t,”� Lily said firmly. “It was just a dream. Leave it at that.”� She turned and walked off toward the Gryffindor common room for her free period.

 

It wouldn’t do for the Head Girl to fall asleep in her classes. Even as pleasant as that dream had been–as hot, as steamy, as downright… well, sexy, really–she just couldn’t let it happen again.

 

*~*

 

Lily entered her dormitory, where her best friend was already lying, reading the most recent male Aurors’ calendar.

 

“Vicky… don’t you ever stop drooling over that thing?”�

 

Victoria Tiernay grinned. “But you haven’t seen July yet, Lily! He’s got the biggest–”�

 

“Never mind. It happened again.”�

 

“What did?”�

 

“I had another dream.”�

 

Julia sat upright, eyebrows flying up. There was a devilish gleam in her eye. “What did he do this time? Were you submissive? Or did you get on top and ride him like a horse, you little cowgirl?”�

 

Lily grimaced. “Don’t be saying things like that, Vicky. It doesn’t suit you. I don’t know why you have these lapses and forget that I don’t _want_ to have these dreams.”�

 

“Sure you don’t,”� Victoria snorted, sitting back again and thumbing her way to July. “If you don’t want them, Lily, I’ll gladly take them for you. I only wish that you’d give me a few more details.”�

 

“Some things aren’t meant to be shared.”�

 

“Like men?”� Victoria grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. “What’s the big deal, anyway? You’ve been having them for the past month.”�

 

“I fell asleep in class. And I don’t even remember falling asleep in the first place. I’m becoming a narcoleptic,”� Lily blushed. “And… Remus Lupin heard me mutter his name.”�

 

“Why were you saying Lupin’s name?”� Victoria asked confusedly. “I thought they were about Potter? You weren’t shagging Lupin, too, were you, you little dream-whore! That could seriously hurt their friendship!”�

 

Lily stared at her incredulously. “Would you just stop and hear yourself, Vick?”�

 

Her best friend smiled at her. “Alright, so Lupin heard,”� she shrugged, “big deal. What’s the problem?”�

 

Lily wriggled her shoulders uncomfortably. “It’s awkward. Now he knows I…”�

 

“You what? Like Potter?”�

 

Lily hissed, throwing the closest thing she could find–her hairbrush–at Victoria. “Shut up, what if someone hears you?”�

 

Victoria gave her a condescending look. “You’re pathetic, Lily. It’s a crush. Go snog him and get it over with.”�

 

With a shout of frustration, Lily picked up her bag and headed for the library, needing to get away from Victoria. That was always her solution.

 

_Go snog somebody indeed!_

 

*~*

 

James Potter sat back against his favorite tree next to the lake, watching the Giant Squid toss a crab up into the air and back again.

 

Remus was lying next to him, staring up at the clear blue sky. “Wonder what Sirius is doing.”�

 

“Making out with Miss Bones, I believe,”� James replied. “To show her gratitude for his standing up for her.”�

 

Remus nodded. “What’s up with you and the Lily situation anyway?”�

 

An alarm went off in James’ head. “Why? Are you interested?”�

 

“Of course I’m interested, you’re my best mate,”� Remus snorted. “Why else would I be asking?”�

 

“No, I meant in her.”�

 

“But you fancy her,”� Remus said, bewildered. “Don’t you?”� Wouldn’t it be tragic if James didn’t like Lily anymore? That’d be horrible for her, but more than anything embarrassing.

 

“’Course I do. I was just wondering if you did.”�

 

“Why would I?”�

 

James shrugged. “She’s a smart, beautiful, intelligent witch. And she’s Head Girl. Isn’t that like your dream wife or something?”�

 

“Little early for marriage, Prongs,”� Remus laughed. “Besides, like I said, you like her.”�

 

“You can’t control your feelings.”�

 

“Well, I can assure you I can control those particular ones,”� he smiled, shaking his head. “She’s not my type. You like the fiery ones, I’m into the docile ones.”�

 

“That are wild in bed,”� James added knowingly. He shut his eyes. “What were you two talking about today in Transfiguration, anyway?”�

 

Remus glanced at him. “Nothing.”�

 

“You’re a rotten liar, Remus.”�

 

“She’d been dreaming.”�

 

“About what?”�

 

Knowing it was futile to lie–James had the uncanny ability to figure out when he was–he admitted, “I’m not allowed to say.”�

 

“I hate that you’re noble, Moony. I hate every bit.”�

 

His friend shrugged carelessly, smirking. “Right. Back to the Lily situation… You gonna ask her out again, or have you given up?”�

 

James opened his eyes, sitting up to look his friend in the eye. “What are you saying, mate? She didn’t dream about me did she?”�

 

Remus didn’t reply.

 

James laughed, whooping loudly as he jumped up. “I’ll go now and–”�

 

“She’s not on sure foot yet, James. She was in denial. Tell her you figured it out because of me and I’ll kill you. Give her some space.”�

 

“I’m not patient.”�

 

“I’ve noticed,”� Remus muttered dryly.


	2. Annoying Socks, Annoying Books

**Chapter Two: Annoying Socks, Annoying Books**

****

**By Natali**

****

_~A Few Weeks Later…~_

 

Lily pushed open the door to the back room of the library. It wasn’t used often, and mostly the old, forgotten books were stored there. She turned automatically to the right, and then left down the third aisle. After scanning the very top shelf, she stood on tiptoes and slowly edged it out.

 

No student–not even the Head Girl–was allowed to take things out of the back room. The air in this room was magical, and preserved these ancient tomes.

 

Hugging the heavy, dusty book to her, she strode for the single desk at the very back of the room, and was startled to find someone there–her reason for doing what she’d been doing for the past three days.

 

“Oh. Hello, Potter. I didn’t think there’d be anyone else here,”� she said, trying her hardest not to stutter. She began to back up. “I’ll come back some other time, then.”�

 

“No, don’t worry,”� James said. “There’s more than enough room for you here.”�

 

Lily debated staying. But it would be odd, she thought, if she didn’t stay for at least five minutes and pretend to have found whatever it was she was searching for–because she would be unable to find what she _really_ wanted to search for while James was there.

 

He had become James to her about a week ago, when the dreams began to come every night. They were frequent, and almost something that she expected, something she very much looked forward to every night–as much as she hated to admit it.

 

“Alright,”� she acquiesced with a shaky voice, taking the only seat empty at the small table. It was true, there _was_ enough room for two people–five if they really squeezed in–but it didn’t help Lily feel any less crowded.

 

She watched him out of the corner of her eyes, and found (to her complete amusement) that he was looking through an old spell book called _Cartoons and How To Make Them_. It was odd that this book was in the back room, but she didn’t say anything. It entered her mind that perhaps he’d brought it in, just as an excuse to be in here.

 

They worked on in silence, until James looked up and said, “What are you looking for?”�

 

Lily started, realizing that she hadn’t turned the page past the table of contents. “Oh… I’ve got these annoying pair of socks that someone enchanted and I’m trying to find a way of unenchanting them…”�

 

“Sounds diabolical. Who did that?”�

 

“I don’t know.”�

 

“What do the socks do to annoy you?”�

 

“I don’t know.”�

 

James raised an eyebrow. “Now, I know we’re not exactly bosom buddies, Evans, but I don’t think telling me what your charmed socks do to annoy you is such a big secret,”� he grinned. “Unless they do something extremely naughty…”�

 

A bit peeved by his third degree and slightly curious as to what a pair of socks could do that would be considered “naughty”�, Lily couldn’t help herself from asking, “Such as?”�

 

James shrugged, going back to his book. “I suppose you’d have to tell me. You’re the one with the naughty socks.”�

 

“I don’t have naughty socks. Not like that anyway.”�

 

“Nor do I. Can’t imagine why you thought I’d know what naughty socks did, as I have none.”�

 

In spite of herself, Lily smiled a bit. “I can’t imagine why either.”� They fell once more into silence, only this time it was a bit more amicable. Lily thumbed through the five-page long table of contents until she found the right page.

 

_Often times, wizards and witches have dreams that are not at all pleasant to them. There are, of course, ways to remove such pestilences, and they vary as the dreams vary._

__

_For dreams that predict the future, turn to page 356._

__

_For dreams that start off pleasantly and turn nightmarish, turn to page 548._

__

_For dreams that involve drowning in a big tub of marshmallows, refer to page 45 for information on “Odd Attributes Of A Warlock”�._

__

_For dreams (more correctly classified as nightmares) that have your childhood phobia walk in on you whilst bathing, turn to page 498. If these dreams include the Sand Man marrying the Boogey Man and reproducing bright orange demon children, see your local hospital or asylum._

__

_For any other dreams that do not fall under these categories, please read below._

 

Lily frowned. And she thought _she_ had problems? What lunatic had a dream about drowning in marshmallows or orange demon children? She continued reading.

 

_Unfortunately, most dreams are incurable and usually go away with time. The only thing This Author can recommend is having a couple shots of gin before bed, and thinking about pleasant things._

__

_Beware, however, of two things. One, falling prey to alcoholism. Two, falling prey to insomnia._

__

_For further information…_

 

Lily slammed the book shut, angry. This was the fourth book that told her there was nothing she could do about her recurring dreams. They obviously didn’t predict the future, because she and James would _never_ get married. They’d probably never even date!

 

She stood, picking up the book and her stuff to leave.

 

“Are you having a lot of unwanted dreams lately as well as annoying socks, Evans?”� James asked, a certain twinkle in his eyes that Lily couldn’t understand.

 

“Yes,”� she admitted hesitantly.

 

“Are they unpleasant?”�

 

“Not exactly. They just disturb my sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow for class,”� she replied, turning and heading for the correct shelf to replace the book.

 

“We really should stop bumping into each other, Evans. It’s not going to look like a coincidence for much longer,”� he called after her.

 

She looked back at him and responded, “Yes, I know. This doesn’t happen too often, so I’m sure there’s no reason to fret about it quite yet.”�

 

James leaned back in his chair, a grin spreading slowly on his face. Not unpleasant, eh? Well, he’d take what he could get…

 

*~*

 

A couple weeks after seeing James in the back room, Lily was back yet again. She hadn’t returned since then, but an idea had popped into her head the day before.

 

What if someone was purposely placing those dreams in her head? Legilimens were a crafty lot, and she was in no way a good Occlumens. It was a definite possibility!

 

There was, of course, the question of who would do that and why they would have a desire to do so, but she would cross that bridge when she got there.

 

James was the obvious choice, but while he was great at many things, she highly doubt that Legilimency was amongst them. 

 

After asking Madame Pince (who seemed extremely suspicious of her questions, but answered nevertheless), Lily had obtained the name of the book she needed.

 

Spotting it, Lily slid it out and for a second thought to look around for the rest of it. It couldn’t be more than twenty pages thick, while all its fellows ranged usually around the hundreds!

 

But she took it and headed for the back table anyway, opening as she did so. The pages were blank. Why were they blank? She flipped to the very first page, and found only a few sentences there.

 

_If someone is indeed using Legilimency to put thoughts or dreams into your mind, there is no certain way of knowing unless you are an Occlumens, in which you will certainly already know when someone is tampering with your head. The only remedy, therefore, is to learn Occlumency._

__

_For tips on learning Occlumency, please purchase my book_ Blocking What Is Meant To Be Blocked _._

__

_\--Mark DiClarko_

__

Lily stopped walking, and was sorely tempted to throw the book but had an idea that Madame Pince would storm through the door that instant and expel her from the library for all eternity, along with her offspring for abusing books in such a manner.

 

How could they have devoted an entire book to just two paragraphs?! How could Hogwarts keep it in their library?! She was furious.

 

At the very bottom of the very same page, were the words: _This work receives the award for shortest book ever printed._

 

Sodding morons, the lot of them!

 

*~*

 

“I don’t know what else to do, Professor Dumbledore,”� Lily sighed, tugging at a piece of her hair. She’d come to confide in Dumbledore, at the end of her tether. “These dreams are driving me up the wall and they’re affecting my schoolwork. I’ve had to keep Victoria Tiernay around me at all times because I have this knack of falling asleep quite suddenly, if I have so much as two seconds to sit down.”�

 

The Headmaster nodded, his fingers forming a steeple. “What are these dreams about, Miss Evans, if you don’t mind my asking?”�

 

She blushed. “I’d–I’d rather not say if I didn’t have to, sir.”�

 

“Ah.”�

 

“No! No ‘ah’! It’s not like that. It’s just… these dreams involve a certain someone that I sort of wish that they didn’t involve, sir,”� she said hurriedly, wanting desperately to correct him of his impression–however originally correct that impression had been.

 

Dumbledore seemed to be suppressing a smile, but it disappeared so quickly that Lily was sure she must have imagined it. “I wish I could tell you how to relieve yourself, Miss Evans, but I haven’t the faintest clue. I’ve never had the pleasure of having a dream.”�

 

“Never, Professor?”�

 

“Not a one.”�

 

“I’m not sure whether to say I’m sorry or to congratulate you,”� she admitted.

 

“I believe that dreams–much like suffering and other things in life–are things that we must deal with in order to grow in personality and maturity, Miss Evans. They have both their positive and negative sides. I have happened to miss out on that, but it’s also a blessing. Two-sided, once again.”�

 

Lily nodded. “Thank you for listening to me, headmaster. I feel better, really.”�

 

He inclined his head. Just as she was about to open the door, he added, “It has been my experience, that when people have told me how their more bothersome dreams went away, it involved acting out that dream to a certain extent in real life.”�

 

Lily didn’t turn around, because she was sure she was as red as a tomato. “I’m afraid that’s not quite possible in my case. But thank you anyway, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow for the Head meeting.”�

 

“As it’s the first, I expect it to take at least a couple hours, so I suggest you do any homework beforehand.”�

 

“Will do, professor.”�

 

*~*

 

The following afternoon, James walked into his last class of the day to find a note from Lily atop his desk. It stated that the Head meeting had been moved to an empty classroom, as Dumbledore would be unable to attend.

 

Shit. He’d forgotten all about the Head meeting. Thankfully, Lily was good at those sorts of things. He’d ask her to remind him each time they rolled around…

 

He wondered if she realized just how much time they’d be spending together now that Head meetings and duties would commence. Of course, they’d had short discussions in the beginning of the year, especially instructing the Prefects on the train ride, but they’d had no major interaction.

 

This was all sure to change now.

 

Three hours later, James stepped into one of the empty classrooms on the third floor. Lily was already there, staring stupidly at the furthest wall, her back to him. She hadn’t noticed he was there.

 

He walked slowly, without a care in the world–and with a very clear purpose–towards her. He didn’t try to make noise but nor did he try not to. It couldn’t be said he’d done it on purpose.

 

Having reached her, he leaned over her shoulder so that his lips were just an inch from her ear and whispered, “Boo.”�

 

Lily screamed and fell out of her chair, managing to hit him over the head just before.

 

“You prat!”�

 

James grinned, offering her his hand. She ignored it and got up on her own.

 

“You must’ve been concentrating like the very devil, Evans.”�

 

Lily glared up at him, running a hand through her hair in an effort to brush it a little. She was distressed, for two reasons. One, she looked like shit–or possibly even worse–because she’d just woken up from a dream with her hair and make up mussed. Two, she actually _cared_ that she looked like shit–or possibly even worse–for the sole reason that James was there to view her shittiness.

She took out her mirror briefly, while she thought he wasn’t looking, and was startled when it was pulled from her hands.

 

“You look fine, Evans.”� He threw the mirror back into her bag. “You always do.”�

 

She nodded, unsure of whether to thank him or not. She probably would’ve–if only because it was mechanical and she was raised to do so–except she found it oddly pleasing that he thought she always looked “fine”�.

 

“Dumbledore had to back out last minute, but he gave me a list of things we need to cover before we leave,”� she explained. “When I went to his office after lunch, he said that we’d need to set up our own meetings, besides the ones that we have with him in order to work on these things.”� She looked up at him, and he seemed to be paying attention, so she continued. “In short, we’re going to be seeing a whole lot of each other this year.”�

 

He smiled slowly, and so charmingly, that she smiled back.

 

*~*

 

“I was just wondering… Why haven’t you asked me out since last year?”� Lily asked as they walked out the door for the Gryffindor common room nearly four hours later. Somewhere after the first hour, they’d gotten extremely comfortable with each other. James had removed his tie and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. She’d conjured a couch so that they could work comfortably and had taken off her shoes and socks.

 

With her legs thrown over his knees casually, they’d laughed and joked, and just had a good time.

 

She was surprised, needless to say.

 

Her question seemed to catch him off guard, and he stopped for a moment. “Here, let me take those for you,”� he muttered, taking the books from her. “I don’t know why. I guess it got old, didn’t it? I’m not five and I just moved on past that point.”� He glanced at her. “Besides, you didn’t seem very interested, did you?”�

 

Lily nodded, a little disappointed. He moved on, and that was the end of that–whatever that was. “Yeah, I got that. Makes sense. Thanks, I guess. It _was_ getting old.”�

 

“If you’d like, I’d be quite happy to resume though,”� he chuckled.

 

She shook her head, grinning. “You’re terrible. Now that I know your heart isn’t in it, I might just hex you so bad your blue blood ancestors feel it.”�

 

He didn’t reply for a minute, taking a step that probably shouldn’t have been taken, because it would make her just a bit more attracted to him. “I don’t think you’re any less of a witch than those from the purest of families, you know. You’re just brilliant, to put it simply.”� He almost regretted it–he was sorely tempted to stop and snog her, for some reason unknown to him (besides, of course, the fact that he was a horny teenager who wanted to snog nonstop constantly).

 

“Thank you, I think. That was a bit random.”�

 

“I think that’s why I was so attracted to you. You proved that you weren’t different, or worse anyway. You’re probably better than any of us could ever hope to be,”� James mused. As an afterthought, he added, “And that temper of yours is right sexy.”�

 

Lily laughed. “Does your mum ever call you Satan?”�

 

“Nope. That’s reserved for my dad,”� he chuckled. “I’m the spawn of Satan.”� They’d reached the portrait hole, and Lily muttered the password. James held her back. “A minute. I think we could be on first name terms, don’t you? We’re going to be getting awfully close this year.”�

 

Lily cocked her head and studied him for a moment. “Sounds good to me… James.”� She turned and left, heading immediately for her dormitory.

 

James stood there for a moment frozen in time, letting her voice spread over him. There was nothing better, he decided then, than to hear Lily Evans say his name.

 

Nothing.


	3. Out Of Options

**Chapter Three: Out of Options**

****

**By Natali K. A.**

 

_“Lils.”�_

__

_Lily didn’t turn around, but instead kept chewing her quill. It wasn’t fair. She shouldn’t be so susceptible to his charm anymore. They’d been dating a few months, and she shouldn’t want to drop everything just to up and kiss him._

__

It wasn’t bloody fair!

__

_“Lils,”� he repeated. His voice sounded closer, and she heard soft footfalls that let her know he was nearing. “We need to talk.”� She felt his hand on her shoulder._

__

_She shook her head._

__

_James was beginning to get a bit frustrated. He had said something–he had_ meant _something–and she was choosing to ignore that._

__

_James Potter was not one to be ignored._

__

_“Fine. I’ll talk, you listen,”� he said sharply. “I don’t regret what I said. I meant it. And whether or not you like it, Lily Evans, you_ are _going to be Lily Potter one day!”� Peeved, he stalked out of her room, slamming the door behind him._

__

_Lily sighed, dropping her quill and allowing her head to make contact with her desk._

__

_It wasn’t bloody fair._

__

_Later that night, Lily tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. How could she? Her boyfriend–her loving, caring, absofuckinglutely perfect boyfriend–was mad at her. He wouldn’t ever admit it, and he wouldn’t let on, but she knew. How couldn’t she? When you loved someone, you knew them. She knew him._

__

_Fed up with her insomnia, she threw off her covers and got out of her bed. Throwing on her robe, she walked out of the dormitory she shared with the other Seventh Year girls. The girls she’d lived with for the past seven years, and the girls she’d leave behind soon. Oh, sure, they’d stay in touch. It was impossible not to. Lily couldn’t imagine ever going a day without communicating with Victoria in some way, or going years and years without at least writing a Christmas card to the others. But it would never be the same._

__

_She tiptoed to the door of James’ room, hesitating before quietly opening the door. Thankfully, it didn’t creak as Hogwarts doors tended to. She’d only caught a glimpse of this room once or twice–she hadn’t ever had much of a reason to be in it. James would usually hunt her down in her room, and they got more privacy there anyway. The Marauders seemed to inhabit this room more than any other (except, perhaps, the kitchens)._

__

_Nevertheless, it didn’t take her more than a few seconds to figure out which bed belonged to James. His curtains were drawn, for one, and he would definitely have been in the mood to brood tonight. Second, a picture of him and her hugging on Valentine’s Day (well, they were actually snogging like there was no tomorrow at that moment…) on the night table beside it. His bed was by the window, just as she’d known it would be._

__

_The others were asleep, and if they’d heard her come in, they didn’t show any signs of it. She carefully headed for his bed, stopping right beside it._

__

_What if the curtains were drawn because he had some skank stashed there and had slept with her? What if this would be the end of their relationship?_

__

You’re an idiot _, Lily snapped at herself._ As if he’s so low class as to do that. No, he’s not the cheating type. It would offend his honor.

__

_Sliding the curtain aside, Lily silently shrugged off her robe and threw it on the night table, crawling onto the bed and closed the curtains again._

__

_She had to smile to herself as she watched him sleep. He was angrier than she’d thought. He hadn’t even undressed or taken off his glasses. His face was screwed up in a grimace. She lifted his glasses off his nose and set them on the night table, stretching out next to him._

__

_She wanted him, damn it. More than he probably knew._

__

_She wanted him in all the ways it was possible to want a man–as her best friend, as her lover, as her husband, as the father of her children… She just plain_ wanted _him, and it pissed the logical part of her off._

__

_Lily Evans didn’t want to rely on anybody for happiness, not even James Potter. Or perhaps, especially not James Potter._

__

_She didn’t understand it–wasn’t sure she even wanted to!–but it didn’t stop her from being angry with herself. She’d hurt him._

__

_Lily sighed, brushing his unruly hair out of his eyes and kissing his cheek. She loved him–didn’t he know that? Did he have to hear the words? Couldn’t he understand how hard they were for her to say, that she wasn’t the type of person that spoke her love, but showed it? But he knew, he had to know. How couldn’t he? Did he only want confirmation?_

__

_James shifted, his arm going automatically around her, bringing her closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, as she’d done many times. And then, she couldn’t help it–a tear slid down her cheek._

__

_“Lils… Go to sleep and stop worrying,”� James mumbled, barely audible. “I’m not mad at you.”�_

__

_“You should be,”� she whispered. “I’m sorry.”�_

__

_He cracked his eyes open, taking out his wand. “Silencio.”� Putting his wand away, he turned onto his side to look at her. “I’m not mad, and that would be a stupid reason to be mad at you.”�_

__

_“You’re upset.”�_

__

_“I’m frustrated.”� He took the hand she had put on his chest and kissed each finger tip. “But I’m not mad. Lils, I could never be mad at you, and I doubt you’d ever give me a reason anyway.”�_

__

_She sniffed, holding back tears. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”�_

__

_“I do.”� He squeezed her hand gently, placing a kiss on her forehead. “Lily, don’t worry yourself. You’re stressed as it is with exams coming up.”�_

__

_“But you’re more important than any stupid exam, James!”� she said, somewhat hysterically. “You matter more to me.”�_

__

_“Yeah, but I’m not going anywhere, am I?”� He gave her an Eskimo kiss, and she laughed._

__

_“I just… I just… love you.”�_

__

_He smiled down at her. “I know.”�_

__

_Then the dam broke, and she began to cry in earnest._

__

_James didn’t have the faintest idea_ why _, as crying females was definitely not something he enjoyed experiencing. But he soothed her–as every smart male should–and soon enough she had quieted._

__

_He made small circles on her back with his thumbs, littering feathery kisses all over her face._

__

_“James…?”�_

__

_“Hmm?”�_

__

_There was a pause. “Make love to me.”�_

__

_He raised a brow, then opened his mouth to say something, but Lily cut him off._

__

_“If you ask me if I’m sure, Potter, I swear I’ll hex you. That’s such a cliché line,”� she grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. He smiled down at her, a chuckle rumbling in his chest._

__

_James tugged Lily to him, catching her lips in an incendiary kiss. His hands roamed her body, learnt her body, memorized her body._

__

_And Lily wanted him–more than ever–only this time, she didn’t have to worry._

__

_She figured out he wanted her just as much._

 

*~*

 

Lily gasped, sitting up in her bed. She was dripping in sweat, her hair sticking to her neck. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, struggling to get the air that was necessary. This dream was longer than usual. They were becoming clearer every night, and she was beginning to worry. They weren’t showing any signs of going away.

 

Shaking, she threw the covers off of her and stood. She needed to go for a walk.

 

She shrugged on a robe–much like she had in her dream–and opened the door to her room, heading for the common room. Maybe a few minutes staring into the warm fire would help clear her mind a bit. It always did soothe her…

 

Choosing the love seat nearest to the fire, Lily sat down to think.

 

What was she going to do? It was getting worse, and the dreams were getting better and better…

 

The latter was something that frightened her very much. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to handle this conviction growing inside of her. She was starting to fancy James Potter very, very much.

 

It was nearing late November, and she was still having trouble staying awake in class. Victoria had to wake her up daily now, before the dreams got too far.

 

But his personality was magnetic. It would have been different, had he been the same person from Fifth Year, or even early Sixth. But he wasn’t–he was warm, kind, caring, and attentive. Most of all, he was _considerate_ , and not so much conceited as confident. Confidence wasn’t a bad thing.

 

He made her _laugh_ and think about all the pleasant things in the world: a sunny day, an ice cream in Hogsmeade, reading the joke page in the _Daily Prophet_ …

 

It was different and she loved it.

 

Lily thought about her predicament some more, going round and round in circles as she’d already overanalyzed it manifold. All that was left was to memorize every fact, every thought that ran through her head.

 

It was just a crush, she reasoned. She’d be leaving Hogwarts this year, and it was just one last final crush.

 

Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Lily dozed off, the fire dancing mockingly upon her face, careless and free.

 

She dreamt again, only this time it was one big blur–dancing, laughing, toasting, celebrating…

 

James Potter lay sleeping upstairs, unaware of her worry or doubt, blissfully dreaming away the night. There was a small smile on his lips and in his hands was clutched a scrap of paper he’d found on the floor earlier.

 

_Lils, if you’re so worried about these dreams, why don’t you just ask Potter about them? Personally, I’d kill to have erotic dreams like that, but that’s just me._

__

**_Yes, but Vicky, you’re ridiculously horny. And I can’t say a word to him–and neither can you, you meddlesome witch! Don’t think I’m not keeping my eye on you._ **

__

_You offend me. I’d never do such a thing!_

__

**_I highly doubt that._ **

__

_Well, fine. But we’ll chat later, it’s about time for class to be over._

 

*~*

 

Lily awoke earlier than usual, and decided to make her way to the library on a hunch. She didn’t want to think it, but couldn’t see any other way.

 

She walked to the back room of the library and slid out a purple volume, turning to page 356–“Dreams That Predict The Future”�.

 

_Often times, there is the possibility of receiving dreams that predict the future. Symptoms of this include: random naps, clear dreams that seem almost as if they’re in real life, increased appetite, dreading the nighttime._

__

_There are no real solutions for this, only to make the best of it. Many lives have been saved because of such dreams, and there is much money to be made in that industry–if you prove yourself correct, that is._

__

And that was it. Lily was extremely annoyed with the fact that these books didn’t go into much detail. With a snort of disgust, she shut the book, and bit her lip.

 

She _was_ falling asleep randomly, her dreams _were_ clear, and she _did_ dread nighttime–well, only partially. Part of her–the naughty part–longed for nightfall, just so that the dreams would occur.

 

She didn’t have an increased appetite, but she didn’t need to be experiencing each symptom, just a few. The fact was, she was most likely having prophetic dreams–or at least something related to them.

 

It was official. She was out of options.

 

And there wasn’t one damn thing she could do about it.  
*~*

**Is all for now. I shall be awaiting a few reviews and I'll update next week... Comprende? Excelente.**

**Natali K. A.**


	4. Finally

**Chapter Four: Finally**

****

**By Natali K. A.**

****

“I’m tired of waiting,”� James whined to Remus. “It’s Christmas holiday! What time better than now when every bloody girl is wishing and hoping for someone to kiss her under the mistletoe? It’s the most romantic time of the year!”�

 

Remus grinned at James. “Calm down, mate.”�

 

“No!”�

 

“Seriously. Chill.”� Remus tossed a ball into the air and then caught it. “Alright. Ask her out. I think it’s time.”�

 

James stopped his pacing. “Seriously?”�

 

“Seriously.”�

 

James scratched his chin. “What if she rejects me?”�

 

Remus threw a pillow at him from his bed.

 

“Suck it up! I’ve heard enough of your whining!”�

 

James grinned, snatching up his Head Boy badge. “I’m going to go find her. Maybe we’ll go out to dinner before we discuss our duties.”�

 

*~*

 

_Lily lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling._

__

_She loved him. Gosh, how she loved him!_

__

_She wanted to show him how much she loved him–but how does one go about showing such a strong emotion as that?_

__

_“Lily,”� James muttered. “You’re thinking again.”�_

__

_“I know,”� she smiled fondly into the dark. His hand found hers on the bedspread._

__

_“What were you thinking about?”�_

__

_“How much I love you.”�_

__

_She could almost see James smiling cockishly into the dark._

__

_“Those are nice thoughts. But go to sleep, Lils. You haven’t been sleeping a lot lately.”�_

__

_Lily sighed. “Babe, I’m sorry about earlier.”�_

__

_“For what? Lily, you don’t seriously think that I’m upset because you didn’t want to–”�_

__

_“It’s not that I didn’t want to. I didn’t feel good.”�_

__

_“And that’s alright,”� James crooned. He pulled her close to him. “In case you haven’t noticed, I like you for more than the sex–though that does rock my world.”�_

__

_Lily grinned at him. She wanted to show him how much she loved him… She thought she knew how…_

__

_“My hormones are a little crazy at the moment,”� she explained. “But I want to now.”�_

__

_James laughed. “Lils, it’s nearly three in the morning and we’ve got to wake up early tomorrow.”�_

__

_“But I can’t sleep.”�_

__

_“Why ever not, my love?”�_

__

_“Too much on my mind,”� Lily sighed, snuggling into the crook of his arm. “I found out some news today.”�_

__

_“Good or bad?”�_

__

_“Well, both actually. Good for every other person on earth–bad for me.”�_

__

_“What happened, Lily?”� James asked worriedly._

__

_“I’m pregnant.”�_

__

_For a moment, the world around them stopped. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named never existed, Dark times were not upon them, their world was not in jeopardy, and most of all they were just Lily and James again. Just that and nothing else._

__

_“Am I the father?”� James stuttered. He was sure had he been standing he would’ve fallen._

__

_Lily snorted. “Well who else is going to bloody be?”�_

__

_“No, no, of course. I just… Ah.”� For once, James Potter was speechless. “But we always did the charm–”�_

__

_“Not true,”� Lily amended. That week in_ _Wales_ _was a bit lax, wasn’t it? I remember seven specific times when we didn’t use the charm.”�_

__

_James did some math in his head. “Bloody hell, Lils.”� She felt his hand run down to her stomach. “We’re going to have a baby.”�_

__

_Lily instantly felt guilty for labeling this “bad news”�. He sounded so excited and exuberant at the mere thought of having a baby with her._

__

_“I know,”� she whispered, catching his lips. “I just wish it wasn’t now, what with You-Know-Who–”�_

__

_“I don’t give a sodding shit!”� James exclaimed, bouncing up in the bed and pulling her to him. “We’re bringing a life into the world, Lils. Oh, Lils…”� His lips found the pulse at her neck and he suckled softly. A shiver racked her as she wound her arms around his neck. “You have never seemed more beautiful to me than you do now.”�_

__

_Lily’s eyes felt wet. “I wanted to show you how much I love you. I couldn’t think of anything else. You’ve wanted a baby so much, James. I won’t lie. I think part of me didn’t_ want _to use any sort of protection. I purposely didn’t mention anything in_ _Wales_ _.”�_

__

_He didn’t reply. His hands were too busy slipping off the big shirt she slept in, his lips too busy claiming her own. He had never been so gentle with her._

__

_Slowly, reverently–almost as if he was afraid of hurting her–he lay her down in the center of the bed and came over her. Then he began his worship of her._

__

_She’d always been very grateful of the fact that he took pleasure in her own pleasure. He would take extreme measures to make sure she got what she deserved._

__

_His hot, wet lips pressed open-mouthed kisses down from her throat to her naked breasts. His beard had already begun to grow in and he scratched her as he laved her peaked nipples. He sucked one then sucked the other even harder._

__

_Lily grasped the bed sheets tightly as he made his way lower, littering soft feathery kisses all over her abdomen._

__

_When he reached her simple pink cotton knickers, he tugged them off with his teeth, feeling not a bit embarrassed about rubbing her red curls in his face. Once it was past her upper thigh, he reached up and yanked them off. His hands strayed up her inner thighs, lingering just around her most intimate spot as he littered yet more kisses on her thighs._

__

_James’ tongue would dart out and in, out and in, out and in repeatedly as Lily’s breaths grew more desperate and her control began to waver. An impatient hum slipped out and James got the message._

__

_He tenderly set his tongue to her center, undulating the pressure. Lily’s hips bucked but his hands kept her steady as he continued the pleasurable torture. He nibbled, licked, rolled, and did almost everything he could think of until at last on a cry of passion Lily climaxed, clutching his head._

__

_The waves shook her seconds after as he continued to play with the tiny bud to extricate every single ounce of pleasure that he could._

__

_“Gosh, James,”� Lily gasped, lying boneless in the bed. “Are you trying to kill me?”�_

__

_She felt rather than heard the chuckle that rumbled in his chest as he placed one last kiss on her and pull himself above her._

__

_Lily beckoned him closer with open arms, wrapping them surely around him when he obliged._

__

_“I love you, Lils,”� he said hoarsely. His voice sounded watery but she didn’t make a comment. “I love our baby, but I love you more.”�_

__

_Somewhat recovered from her pleasure, she stroked his back softly. “Go to sleep, baby. You’re tired.”�_

__

_“Not that tired,”� James said curtly, pushing away from her and situating himself at her entrance._

__

_Lily laughed, repositioning herself to welcome him easier. “Go for it,”� she said softly, the smallest trace of a smile on her lips._

__

_With one thrust, he’d imbedded himself in her. She was wet and hot and soft and delicious… James groaned. He never got tired of that feeling and it only got better with time._

__

_Minutes later he’d brought them both to their peak and they were slowly making their way back to the real world. He made to disengage himself from her but she stopped him._

__

_“Stay, please. I like how you make me feel,”� Lily mumbled sleepily, her eyes already closing._

__

_“But what if I hurt you, Lils?”�_

__

_There was no response. Lily was already off in a dreamless sleep, a pleased and satisfied look on her face. James rolled his eyes and rolled them both over so that she was on top._

__

_She always fell asleep right after sex. What was with that anyway?_

__

_He looked at his wife and couldn’t help but feel anything but the greatest love for her. She was so utterly perfect and he would never think otherwise. Even her faults were perfect._

__

_Yet he had to face the facts. There was a Dark wizard coming to power and there were bad times up ahead. His child would likely be raised in a time of fear and uncertainty and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He would protect his family as best as he could, but there was no way he could assure their safety._

__

_He felt powerless and hated it. He hated it more than he hated the Dark wizard._

__

_“Stop thinking,”� Lily whispered, taking his hand. “Get some sleep.”�_

__

_He laughed shortly and obeyed her, falling into a dream wrought with fears and dark hooded figures and blinding flashes of white-green light._

__

*~*

 

This time Lily awoke slowly. She knew the dream had finished for once and had not stopped somewhere before the end. She’d finished an entire dream and felt flushed with fever.

 

“Lily, snap out of it,”� she told herself sternly. Just then, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs which was odd for a Hogsmeade weekend. She turned and found James Potter walking towards her.

 

“Good afternoon,”� Lily nodded.

 

“Good afternoon,”� James repeated, stopping a foot in front of her. “Want to go for a walk, Lily?”�

 

“Sure.”� She accepted his outstretched hand and they walked out of the common room together, heading for what Lily presumed were the grounds.

 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you lately, about a matter of something a tad important,”� James began once they’d reached the outdoors. They took a left to go around the back of the castle.

 

“Oh? Head duties?”� Lily asked.

 

“No. On the subject of dreams actually.”�

 

Lily almost stopped breathing but managed to keep her cool. “Dreams, James? Are they troubling you?”�

 

“No, they’re troubling you.”�

 

Lily ceased walking and turn to look him in the eye. “What are you talking about?”�

 

“I know that you’ve been having dreams about me.”�

 

Her blush gave her away and she knew it was futile to deny it. “Fine. Yeah, I am having some… _disturbing_ dreams about you, if you must know.”�

 

“Disturbing?”� Lily could tell he was trying not to grin. She felt as if he had anyway.

 

“Yes, disturbing. What, you’re too pretty for anyone to be having disturbing dreams about you?”� Lily snapped as she continued walking. “Or is it a disturbing dream only when you keep your clothes on?”�

 

“My nudity isn’t relevant, Lily,”� James smiled. “It’s what I’m doing that is. Clothes or no clothes isn’t much of a problem.”�

 

Lily blushed once more. “Well, fine, but these dreams disturb me.”�

 

“Why? Are they prophetic?”�

 

“Gosh, I hope not!”� she exclaimed hysterically, stopping once more and almost bumping into him. She avoided touching any part of him. “They’re not prophetic,”� she said with more poise and conviction. “In the least.”�

 

“Funny thing dreams. They tend to express your dearest, deepest, darkest desires.”�

 

“Enough of the alliterations, James. Don’t be _daft_. My deepest, darkest desire isn’t to shag you, for heaven’s sake!”�

 

He let out a chortle. “You’re right, probably not all that deep at all, is it?”�

 

She was tempted to slap him.

 

“Alright, alright,”� he said. “I’ll be serious now. Well, not–”�

 

She had come to know him so well in the past few months that she knew what he was about to say. “Don’t you dare make a Sirius pun or I promise I’ll knee your family jewels right this instant, Potter. They’re disgusting and not funny in the least.”�

 

“I’m not sure about the disgusting part, but I should hope my jewels aren’t funny,”� he said, feigning offense. “No, seriously, I’ll be serious. I’ve known for months you know.”�

 

“Known _what_ exactly?”� Lily said snappishly, forgetting what the initial conversation was about.

 

“About your dreams, of course.”�

 

Her eyebrows nearly flew off her face. “Remus told you, did he?”�

 

“I’m supposed to say no.”�

 

“How pleasant of him to have done so.”�

 

“I thought so, actually.”� He paused and took a step nearer to her, to which she backed up. “I want to talk to you about it, Lily.”�

 

“There’s nothing to talk about. They’ll go away soon,”� she stated stubbornly, crossing her arms and all. Before she could take another step, he got closer and clamped her to him, his arms anchoring her.

 

“But my feelings won’t.”�

 

Lily sighed deeply, the strength leaving her. “James, it’s a school crush and will disappear in no time. I don’t have the time to waste on a boyfriend with N.E.W.T. testing nearly here. I’ve even already begun to study,”� she explained softly. “It wouldn’t work, we’re too different.”�

 

“Not as different as you think.”�

 

She considered his face for a minute before agreeing, “No, we’re not I suppose. It’s not that I’m not attracted, I just don’t have the bloody _time_ to spend on a boyfriend or on dating or even on leisure time. Had it been last year I probably would’ve said yes, but it’s not. It’s this year. It’s now. We don’t have the time.”�

 

“Nothing complicated, Lily,”� James whispered, leaning down to her. “No official titles till school is over. We don’t even have to date or spend any time together. Just tell me that you want it. I can wait if that’s the truth.”�

 

Lily felt powerless yet strangely protected in his arms as she was. There wasn’t a thing he could ask that she could deny him at that moment. “I do want it.”�

 

His lips edged nearer and the only thing that could fit between them at the moment was a scrap of parchment.

 

“Then that’s enough.”�

 

His lips swooped down on hers and she instinctively opened herself to him. It was the most enchanting feeling in the world. The dreams would good–the reality was better.

 

“Mmm,”� Lily hummed as they parted. “I… Uh…”�

 

“Nothing. You don’t have to say a word. When you’re ready, that’ll be enough and I’ll be here waiting,”� he told her, voice low and raw. “But until then, I don’t see the harm in giving our mouths time to get acquainted.”�

 

“Oh,”� was all Lily could say as he brought her even closer and kissed her again, this time with more desire, desperation, and hunger.

 

It felt good, but she couldn’t shake off the fact that she couldn’t trust him completely yet.

 

He’d asked her dozens of times to go out on a date with her, and each time she had turned him down. So what was the difference this time? Had he really changed from the cocky, big-headed prat she’d known for most of her Hogwarts career?

*~*

**A/N: Thanks to those who have reviewed so far. I'll be updating for... probably close to a week, daily, until I'm caught up with the other sites. Thereafter, it's once a week until the story's over.**

**Much love,  
Natali K. A.**


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